The Progress and Promise of ACOs
Posted by Western PA Hospital News on May 14, 2012 in Accountable Care, Legal | 0 comments
By Mike Cassidy, Esq.
Since Accountable Care Organizations (“ACO”) are one of the featured topics for the May edition of Hospital News, I thought it would be appropriate to revisit the progress and evaluate the promise of ACOs to date.
I last wrote on this topic in the December 2011 Thought Leader column, and indicated there had been little progress, at least with the federal ACO model, which is the Medicare Shared Savings Program as of that time. I also cited a study done by Leavitt Partners in November 2011 entitled the “Growth and Dispersion of Accountable Care Organizations.”
The key findings of the Leavitt study stated there were 164 ACOs being developed, 99 by hospitals, 38 by physician groups and 28 by insurers. Most of these commercial products were concentrated in higher income/higher population areas with the majority of the ACOs being concentrated in just eight states, the leader of which was California.
Healthcare Professionals: Remember Motorcycle Safety
Posted by Western PA Hospital News on May 14, 2012 in Legal | 0 comments
By Edgar Snyder, Esq.
As healthcare professionals, you may have seen firsthand the devastation caused by motorcycle accidents. Even if you don’t have direct contact with patients, chances are you’ve heard about how serious motorcycle injuries can be. Already this year there have been several deadly collisions involving motorcycles on the news.
Soon thousands will take to the road to kick off another riding season. That’s why it’s especially important for you to focus on motorcycle safety and injury prevention. Not only will you help keep yourself out of the Emergency Room, but you’ll also help prevent others from being injured in collisions involving motorcycles.
Developmental Therapists—Gatekeepers for Pediatric Care
Posted by Western PA Hospital News on May 11, 2012 in Pediatric | 0 comments
In medicine, general practitioners are known as the gatekeepers to the health care system. They look at the overall health of a patient before directing them to other specialists if needed.
Developmental therapists serve in much of the same role in children, especially in children ages birth to five who may need Early Intervention services due to a pending diagnosis of Autism and/or other neurodevelopment disorders.
“Developmental therapists look at the big picture of a child’s life and specifically HOW that child is developing during what we feel are the most significant period a youngster’s life which is birth through five years,” said Susan Taylor, a developmental specialist for The Early Learning Institute (TELI) for the past twenty years. “We like to say we tie things together which in many cases involves other types of therapies such as physical, speech and occupational therapy.”
Issue 4 of Hospital News Now Online
Posted by Western PA Hospital News on May 11, 2012 in Latest Issue | 0 comments
Our latest issue is now online! Be sure to check it out and forward it onto your friends and colleagues. Download it now.
If you have any bylined articles or news to share with our readers in the next issue, please email me at hdkart@aol.com.
These are the focus areas for May: Nursing, Social Media, Improving Quality Performance, ACOs, Emergency Medicine, Leading Care in an Age of Complexity, Plastic Surgery, Legal, Practice Management, Human Resources, Outsourcing
Free Alzheimer’s Training Now Available To Local Family Caregivers
Posted by Western PA Hospital News on May 10, 2012 in Senior Care | 0 comments
The local Home Instead Senior Care® offices are offering a unique approach to help area families in the Greater Pittsburgh area manage the challenges of Alzheimer’s and other dementias, diseases that eventually rob seniors of their memories and independence. Free training for families caring for these older adults is now available through online e-learning modules, available at HelpForAlzheimersFamilies.com, and also will be offered locally beginning May 22.
The Alzheimer’s or Other Dementias CARE: Changing Aging through Research and EducationSM Training Program offers a personal approach to help families care for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease at home, where 60 to 70 percent live, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
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